Typographical machine



' April28,1942- J. w. BITTNER 2,281,259

TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Filed May 25, 1941. I

INVENTOR JOHN M BIT TNER ATTORN EY Patented Apr 28, 1942 STATS TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Application May 23, 1941, Serial No. 394,791

Claims. (01. 199-33) This invention relates to improvements in typofiected away from the solid body of the partition graphical machines of the general organization plate at an angle or curvature necessary to the represented in Letters Patent No. 436,532 wherein proper guidance of certain matrices itris difiicult circulating character bearing matrices stored in if not impossible in many instances to change its a grooved magazine and released therefrom in 5 angle of deflection to suit other matrices without response to manipulation of a keyboard are asmutilating the thin metal as by twisting or dissembled in line, the composed line being pretorting its form and in this or other ways rendersented at the front of a slotted mold into which ing it a hinderance rather than an aid to the molten type metal is injected at the rear to form proper guidance and smooth passage of matrices.

a slug having on its upper edge the characters The present invention is intended to overcome represented by the matrices, and the matrix line the foregoing and other objectionable conditions thereafter being transferred to the distributing and to this end contemplates as an auxiliary mechanism of the machine which includes a somatrix guide a spring finger or blade constituted called channel entrance divided into a plurality preferably by a strip only partially severed out of of passages by fixed solid body partition plates the partition proper, the opening formed in the for guiding the individual matrices while in free partition by the portion thus freed enabling the flight between the distributor proper and their latter to be flexed back and forth freely about respective grooves in the magazine. the connection it retains with the partition and As well known, these machines are called upon across'the plane of the latter when it is desired to handle fonts of matrices in a wide variety of to alter its disposition relative thereto, and said sizes with the result that both thin and thick opening also allowing the freed portion to be debodied matrices are required to pass between adpressed wholly within the planes of the sides of jacent partitions of the channel entrance. For the partitions whereby to preserve the entire this reason it is customary to provide in assowidth of the space therebetween for the passage ciation with the partitions one or another form of matrices. Broadly viewed, therefore, the inof auxiliary matrix guiding means such as thin vention contemplates this or any equivalent conflexible blades or spring plates bent to project struction that will give one or both of the aforesomewhat into the passages between adjacent said distinct advantages.

partitions and weak enough to be deflected by Another feature of the construction according and thus allow free passage of the thick matrices to the present invention is the disposition and yet strong enough to direct thin matrices to one width of the cut-out in the partition plate and of side of a passage and lead them in upright posithe guide finger itself relative to the usual upper tion to the point where the usual projecting lugs and lower curved plates of the channel entrance or ears thereon enter the grooves in the magawhich form the top and bottom walls of the zine. matrix passages. As will be seen the boundaries Heretofore, whatever the form of the auxiliary or edges of the guide fingers and of the openings guiding means employed, it has been constituted in the partitions are so spaced from the top and by a separate part or parts suitably secured to bottom plates that matrices bearing like characeach partition as by welding and as exemplified, ters but differing in thickness in different size for example, in Letters Patent No. 1,349,488. fonts will pass without danger of wedging or of Such arrangements, however, are objectionable entering the opening or of clogging the entrance. in modern machines because the thickness added A still further feature of the invention is the to the partition by the extra part decreases the simplicity and economy of the proposed conavailable space between adjacent partitions to struction both in manufacture and maintenance, such extent as to retard and sometimes even obthe making and assembling as heretofore of a struct the passage of certain size matrices and number of separate parts (actually ninety-one thus prohibit the use of certain maximum size for main magazine entrances and thirty-six for matrix fonts that otherwise might be run in the side magazine entrances) being eliminated, and machine. As a matter of fact, and as will be the ease and possibility of making proper adevident to those skilled in the art, the matter of 5 justments of the guide fingers being of material a few thousandths of an inch restriction in the advantage in saving time and securing smooth width of certain of the channel entrance passages operation of the machine in service.

has been found to be an objectionable limitation. In the accompanying drawing, the invention Moreover, once such auxiliary guiding means has been illustrated in preferred form and by added to one side of a partition is bent or de- 5;, way of example but obviously variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts and the mode of application thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as specified in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a, vertical section taken through the upper part of a conventional typographical machine with the improved form of matrix guide and partitions according to the invention applied to the channel entrance.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view in the direction of the arrows 2-2 in Fig. 1 with the top plates of the magazine and channel entrance removed to show the relation of the matrix guide and partition of the invention to the magazine grooves and entrance passages.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation viewed from the lower end of the channel entrance in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is shown as applied to a conventional form of typographical machine having a single distributor, the latter comprising as usual the combination ribbed distributor bar I and the set of rotary screws 2 for conveying the matrices M along the bar I until they reach a point at which, according to the character they represent, the matrix tooth and ribbed bar combinations agree and thus allow the matrix to drop off the bar and fall by gravity into the channel entrance passage leading to the proper storage place in the magazine 3. magazine 3 comprises upper and lower plates provided on their inner opposed faces with grooves in which engage the usual edgewise projecting lugs on the matrices so as to sustain the "latter in upright edgewise position in the magazine in well known manner.

For simplicity sake only, the magazine 3 here shown is of the so-called side or auxiliary style in which the grooves 4 run parallel from the top to the bottom of the plates as distinguished from the grooves in main magazines which converge from top to bottom of the usual trapezoidal shaped plates of such magazines. As will become evident, however, to those skilled in the art the improved form of partition and matrix guide according to the invention is equally applicable as to construction and performance when associated with either style of magazine. It is to be noted that the grooves 4, as usual, are tapered or flared toward their upper ends so as to present a widened opening for the reception of the matrix lugs as the matrices discharge from the entrance passages into the magazines.

The channel entrance comprises upper and lower downwardly curved plates 5 and 6 respectively separated by intermediate fiat plates or partitions 1 disposed edgewise between them and dividing the entrance into a series of passages 8 for conducting matrices dropped oif the distributor bar to the respective grooves 4 in the magazine. The partitions I are suitably anchored in place at predetermined spaced intervals (usually unequally spaced, as shown, according to the body thickness of the different matrices to be accommodated between them) as by lugs 9 adapted to project through slots in the upper and lower plates 5 and 6 and to accommodate longitudinal keeper rods Ill bearing against the outer sides of the plates. The general form and arrangement of the parts thus far described is substan- The tially the same as employed in commercial machines so that further detailed explanation thereof seems unnecessary for present purposes.

According to the present invention, the channel entrance partitions and the auxiliary matrix guiding means necessary for the proper handling of both thin and thick bodied matrices are integral parts, the auxiliary guides preferably being formed directly from a portion of the partitions. Thus, referring particularly to Fig. 1, there is formed within the boundaries of the edges of each partition I and at a substantial distance from said edges (as by punching, sawing, milling or otherwise) spaced narrow rectilinear slots I2 extending longitudinally of the partition plates, and between these slots (at the ends thereof toward the lower end of the plates) there is formed a short cross slot I3. The slots l2 are substantially equal in length and converge toward each other, as shown, and in the direction in which they converge they diverge respectively from the nearest adjacent entrance plates 5 and 6. It is to be pointed out, however, that this specific formation and disposition of the slots l2 and I3 has merely been found by experiment to be generally advantageous but that non-converging slots, slots with a slight curvature, and slots disposed at a uniform distance from one or both of the plates 5 and 6 are also contemplated since they are equally suited to producing auxiliary guides possessing the features and advantages of the present invention.

The provision of the slots l2 and I3 results in producing out of the material along the central region of the partition plates relatively narrow flexible strips ll only partially severed from the plates and remaining joined thereto at their upper ends as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The slots l2 and I3 obviously produce an opening in each partition into which the strip II may lie flatwise and be confined totally within the planes of the side faces of the partition and such opening provides clearance around the sides and free end of the strip for the latter to pass through in both directions when flexed about its connection with the body of the partition for purposes of adjustment, as will later be explained. By forming the cross slot l3 somewhat back from the lower end of the partition the connecting portion I 4 aids in maintaining the rigidity of the end of the partition plate. The cross slot, however, may be dispensed with if desired and the slots l2 formed all the way through to the lower end of the partition.

It will now be evident that the strips ll' constitute the necessary flexible auxiliary matrix guide fingers without in any way increasing the over-all thickness of the partitions themselves and consequently without decreasing the space available between adjacent partitions for the passage of matrices. Moreover, by forming the guide fingers directly out of the partitions in the manner set forth the fingers may be flexed freely in both directions through the openings in the partitions (see Fig. 4), thus affording a facility heretofore impossible for adjusting the guides to change the amount of projection of any individual guide into the matrix passage it is intended to serve. Such ability to alter the setting or disposition of each guide relative to its partition is an important consideration in adapting a machine to handle both the thin and thick matrices of the minimum and maximum size fonts, and it will be apparent that the freedom provided for flexing the guides back and forth through the openings in the partitions (as by pressing against them a suitable tool projected into an adjacent passage) enables changing their setting without danger of twisting or distortion.

The action of the auxiliary guide fingers II on thick and thin matrices is clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 which show the guides bent or deflected to an inclined position relative to the partition plates, the guides being disposed so as to project different extents into the matrix passages of the entrance according to the varying widths of the respective passages and the range of thickness of like-character matrices intended to be accommodated. Thus, the moderately thin matrix M as it passes the guide finger II is pressed by the finger toward one side of the passage 8 which latter is wide enough to handle matrices of much greater thickness when necessary and requires the guide H as a means for holding the thinner matrix M in upright position so that its lugs will enter the grooves in the magazine. H and their flexibility in each instance is such that a thin matrix M or a thick matrix M may pass without hesitation, the thick matrix M as shown, pressing the guide nearly all the way back into the opening from which it is formed out of the body of the partition plate. It will be obvious that a matrix slightly thicker than the matrix M would press the guide completely back into the opening in the partition where the guide would lie wholly within the planes of the side faces of the partition. Thus as a distinct feature broadly contemplated by the invention there is provided integral with the entrance partitions auxiliary matrix guides so associated with and related to the partitions as to preserve for the passage of matrices the total width of the spaces defined by the actual side faces of the partitions. This advantage in itself might, of course, be obtained in alternative Ways such as the obvious method of insetting the auxiliary guide in an elongated shallow panel or recess milled or otherwise formed part way into the thickness of the partition from one side face thereof, the guide being constituted by a separate thin strip made integral with the partition as by welding it at one end to the bottom wall of said recess. Or the partition may be provided with a complete opening (similar to the opening formed by slots 12 and I3) for the purpose of permitting flexing of an auxiliary guide in both directions and the guide, constituted by a separate thin strip then being made integral with the partition as by welding it at one end to a thinned portion of short extent formed as a continuation of one end of the opening. These and various other alternatives will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and will be included within the scope of the appended claims.

The proportions as to thickness, width and length of the auxiliary guide fingers H are such that they are strong enough to deflect and guide the thinner matrices in upright posture to one side of a wide passage as required yet weak enough to be depressed by the thicker matrices to the extent necessary for their unhindered passage. The disposition laterally of the guide fingers I I and the openings produced by forming them directly out of the material of the partitions is such that with respect to matrices passing at either side of a partition any portion of the configuration of the matrix such as the lugs The set or inclination of the guides thereof, the notched bottom edge, or the body proper may pass by the guide or over the opening without danger of wedging on the former or entering the latter. Thus, in Fig. 1, a matrix M is represented by dot-dash lines in two positions in its flight through a passage 8 in the channel entrance. The dot-dash line L traces the average line of contact With a partition of the outermost corner of the lower lugs of a matrix M appropriate to any given passage 8 in the entrance. In other words, taking the smallest size font practical to run, for example, in the standard auxiliary magazine here shown, the thinnest matrices appropriate to the respective passages 8 may tilt or tip over sidewise as they drop into a passage but in no case will the line of contact of the lugs of any such matrix fall so low (lower than the line L) as to enter the opening in the partition to the right of the matrix.

The slightly tapered shape of the guide I l and the opening affords a simple way of keeping the inner or connected end of the guide and opening relatively narrow (to afior-d the desired degree of flexibility) and confined laterally to the central region of the width of the partition and adjacent passages, and at the same time enables the guide to be made wide enough at its free end to provide an adequate bearing surface for forcing and sustaining the passing matrices in upright condition.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. In a typographical machine, the combination of a channel entrance for guiding matrices from the distributor to a magazine and having spaced partitions forming matrix passages between them, with auxiliary matrix guiding means constituted by portionspartially severed from the respective partitions and bendable about their unsevered connections therewith into the matrix passages at either side of the partitions.

2. In a typographical machine, the combination of a channel entrance having spaced partitions forming between them passages for the guidance of matrices and auxiliary matrix guiding means adapted to project into said passages, said guiding means being formed by portions partially severed from the respective partitions and producing corresponding openings therein for the flexing therethrough in opposite directions of said partially severed portions.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the fact that the portions partially severed from the partitions and the openings produced thereby extend longitudinally of the partitions and matrix passages and are confined laterally throughout their extent to a relatively narrow portion of the central region of said partitions and passages.

l. The combination as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the fact that the portions partially severed from the partitions and the openings formed thereby extend longitudinally of the partitions and passages, and by the further fact that the longitudinal edges of said partitions and openings are located at such distance from the corresponding outer edges of the partitions proper as to permit matrices tilted edgewise in the passages between partitions to pass without wedging trices in a font of the maximum size capable of entering the passages, and flexible matrix guides adapted to deflect to one side of the entrance passages matrices belonging to fonts of less than maximum size, said matrix guides being formed by portions partially severed directly from the respective partitions and flexible about their unsevered connection therewith into and out of the planes of said partitions whereby upon deflection thereof by matrices of the maximum size such matrices may occupy the full width of the passages as defined by the sides of the partitions.

JOHN W. BITTNER. 

